“Self hypnosis for weight loss” is the most popular use of self hypnosis that people search for in Google. I’m sure this has a lot to do with the high percentage of the population that is overweight.
But thankfully it also has to do with the massive number of people who really do want to change. Guess what? Self hypnosis for weight loss is something that is absolutely worth doing.
Let’s first discuss weight loss, and then discuss how hypnosis or self hypnosis can help you achieve the goal of dropping a few pounds.
Weight loss basics: Your weight is something that changes based on the energy balance in your body. Energy comes in through calories, and energy gets expended through exercise and general body functions (i.e. your metabolism). In some ways it is very simple. Eat less calories than you expend and you will lose weight.
That is a mathematical and scientific fact. But in some ways it is not so simple because a person’s metabolism may change. If you start eating less but your body goes into conservation mode, you may not affect your energy balance enough to make a difference to your body weight.
You can control energy input by changing what you eat, when you eat, and how you combine your foods.
You can control your energy output by changing how you exercise, and by changing your “internal controls” to maintain an optimal metabolic rate. For example, it is widely acknowledged that different levels of emotional stress can change your body’s metabolic rate (that is, how many calories your body burns in a normal resting state).
Self hypnosis for weight loss – can it really help? In my opinion, absolutely it can. Please understand that, on its own, hypnosis is not a magic pill. You can’t just “do hypnosis” and become thinner tomorrow. That said, here is how you can affect your body using hypnosis:
- You can use self hypnosis to increase your desire for healthy foods that you previously did not enjoy. You can use hypnosis to find low-sugar fruits and vegetables more tasty, refreshing, and compelling.
- You can use self hypnosis to radically shift your belief system so that you unconsciously accept that you are in control of your own body weight. You are not a victim of the body you are currently in. You can change it.
- Self hypnosis can help you create new positive behaviors such as a mental desire to exercise at a level that is right for you.
- Self hypnosis can be used very effectively to reduce stress and trigger positive emotional states. This will allow your body to function at a higher level of performance. When you feel better, it’s a lot easier to eat right and exercise regularly.
Mike Mandel is a six-time award winning hypnotist with over 30 years of professional hypnosis experience. He and Chris Thompson released the Wellness Academy to help people become lean, strong and happy.